March 4, 2011

Softball Travels To Play In The USF Under Armour Invitational

USF Under Armour Invitational - March 4, March 5, March 6

Quinnipiac University Bobcats
Western Michigan University Broncos
Central Michigan University Chippewas
Loyola Marymount University Lions
Maine University Black Bears

Bobcats Play In Under Armour Invitational
The Quinnipiac University softball team travels to the University of South Florida in Clearwater, Fla. to play in the Under Armour Invitational this weekend, March 4-6. The Bobcats, 4-4 overall, will compete in five games at the tournament and will face Western Michigan, Loyola Marymount, Central Michigan, Florida International and Maine.

Schedule At USF
The Bobcats will play a pair of games on Friday, including match-ups against Western Michigan and Loyola Marymount at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively. On Saturday, Quinnipiac will face Central Michigan at 12:30 p.m. and Florida International at 5:30 p.m. The Bobcats final game of the weekend will be played against Maine on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Follow Your Bobcats Live
Live stats will be available by clicking on the appropriate links on the official website of Quinnipiac Athletics at www.quinnipiacbobcats.com.

Last Time Out
The Bobcats enter the Invitational after going 3-1 at the Longwood Classic on February 26-27. On Saturday, Quinnipiac defeated Bucknell, 5-4, in extra innings, and lost to host Longwood, 5-4. The Bobcats won both of its match-ups on Sunday, beating Stony Brook, 8-2, and Bucknell, 8-1.

 Longwood Classic Highlights
The Bobcats split the first two games of the tournament on Saturday. Junior pitcher Heather Schwartzburg earned her first win of the season as the Bobcats defeated Bucknell 5-4. Lauren Salgado scored the game-winning run in the seventh inning on a wild pitch. On Sunday, Quinnipiac outscored its opponents 16-3, putting up eight runs in each game. Freshman Jordan Paolucci scored her second-career homerun in the Quinnipiac 8-2 win against Stony Brook. Seven Bobcats contributed at least one hit in the 8-1 win over Bucknell, while five different players scored in the contest.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:

Western Michigan
After losing 10-straight games on the road, the Broncos defeated Maine, 2-1, at the USF Tournament on March 1. Overall, Western Michigan enters the tournament at 1-11. The Broncos' C. Rousseau (10) and G. Barstad (11) lead the team in hits, while L. Jager and M. Bendewald have each picked up four RBI this season. K Houston has won one game for the Broncos, struck out 41 batters in 4 games and posts a 3.71 ERA.

Loyola Marymount
The Lions (6-8) enter the invitational after defeating UC Santa Barbara, 9-4, in their most recent outing on Feb. 27 at the Cathedral City Classic. Loyola Marymount outfielder Danielle Smith leads the team with a .378 batting average and with 17 hits and 17 runs on the year. Juniors Sam Fischer and Kelly Sarginson have each drove in a team-high nine RBI, while Sarginson, a first baseman, has scored three home runs this season. Right-handed pitcher Molly Medeiros is currently 3-2 and posts a 2.95 ERA, while sophomore pitcher Dana Waldusky is 2-3 and has a 3.31 ERA.

Central Michigan
Central Michigan enters this weekend at 3-3 overall. The Chippewas are led by first baseman Kari Seddon, who's contributed a team-high seven hits and has scored one run this year. Brogan Darwin and Amanda Patrick have each drove in a team-high three RBI, while Darwin and Molly Coldren have each hit one homerun. Freshman right-handed pitcher Chelsea Sundberg has won two games for Central Michigan and has a 2.08 ERA. Another right-handed pitcher, Kara Dornbos, also has a 2.08 ERA and has split two games this year.

Florida International
Florida International is currently 7-8 on the year, posting a 5-6 mark at home. The Panthers' Ashley McClain leads the team with a .349 batting average. The junior outfielder and pitcher has collected 15 hits and seven runs, while driving in nine runs for FIU. Second baseman Brie Rojas has also made an impact this season, contributing 13 hits, 10 runs and eight RBI. McQuain has pitched in five games for the Panthers this year and has won three contests, recording a 1.37 ERA. Right-handed pitcher Jenn Gniadek has won three games at the mound, posting a 3.86 ERA, while freshman Mariah Dawson holds a 1-3 record and a 3.41 ERA.
Maine
The Black Bears (6-8) enter this weekend on a three-game winning streak. Maine defeated Western Michigan, 3-2, on March 1 and beat St. Francis (Pa.) twice in back-to-back games on March 2. In its most recent outing, Maine defeated the Red Flash, 6-5, in nine innings. Collectively, the Black Bears post a .188 batting average and a .262 on-base percentage. Junior Jennifer Eberhardt leads Maine in hits (16) and runs (7), while Senior Terren Hall has picked up a team-high seven RBI and scored two home runs. Junior Ashley Kelley has pitched in 10 games for the Black Bears and holds a 3-5 record. Freshman pitcher Kylie Sparks has won two games for Maine. Each pitcher for the Black Bear has above a 3.5 ERA.

Lancer Leadoff
Quinnipiac opened the 2011 season at the Lancer Leadoff at Longwood University on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20. On Saturday, the Bobcats lost 5-3 against IUPUI and Army. On Sunday, the Bobcats defeated Army, 6-5, and lost to host Longwood, 4-1, later that day.

Freshman Faces
The Bobcats' freshman pitcher Emily O'Keefe won her first collegiate game against the Black Knights on Feb. 20. O'Keefe allowed three runs and six hits over seven innings. She also struck out two batters. With the score tied 5-5 going into the seventh inning, freshman Jordan Paolucci hit her first collegiate homerun to give the Bobcats the 6-5 win against Army.

Ladies At Lancer Leadoff
Jacqueline Ristow started in all four games at the Lancer Leadoff. The junior infielder contributed four hits, scored three runs and drove in two RBIs. Junior transfer Ashley Heiberger appeared in two games for Quinnipiac. She went 3-for-4 and scored one run at the tournament. Sophomore outfielder Lauren Salgado added three hits, three runs, and picked up her first RBI of the season. Senior captain Joelle Jacobsen currently leads the team with 27 putouts, while Christy Cabrera has tallied a team-high 14 assists.

2011 QU Leaders
The Bobcats are led by two-time All-Northeast Conference pitcher Heather Schwartzburg, who earned the 2009 NEC Rookie of the Year title and a First Team selection in 2010. Alex Alba was named the NEC's Rookie of the Year in 2010. Senior captain Joelle Jacobsen will lead the Bobcats this season, alongside 12 returning letterwinners, five freshman and two junior transfers from Iowa Lakes Community College in Ashley Heiberger and Christy Cabrera.

Preseason Picks
The Bobcats were recently selected to finish fourth in the 2011 Northeast Conference Coaches' Preseason Poll, after making an appearance in the NEC Tournament in 2010. The Bobcats posted a 29-24 overall record and a 15-5 mark in conference play last year.

What's Ahead For The Bobcats
Quinnipiac returns to action at the Under Armour Showcase at USF on March 11-13. The Bobcats will take on UWGB, St. John's, St. Joe's, Ball State, and Maryland at the tournament. Quinnipiac will also play the Netherlands National Team on Sunday, March 13 at 2:30 p.m.